Tag: tn

So you want to get out to parts of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that you can’t see leaning out of the window of your car? Well, Townsend, Tn has the answer for you – Davy Crockett Riding Stables. Get off the road into the backcountry and take a relaxing horseback ride in Cades Cove and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Davy Crockett Riding Stables in Townsend has immediate access to backcountry horseback riding trails in the Smokies. What better way to get more in touch with nature and spend some quality family time than to experience it like the mountaineers who first traversed the Smokies did – on horseback. Davy Crockett employs some of the best Smoky Mountain horseback guides in the area, each with a vast understanding of the area and the animal alike. Each equestrian professional is a trained guide with the hours of experience necessary to lead groups on horseback throughout the park.

Once you’ve explored the Smokies on horseback, you’ll want to come back again and again just to make sure you haven’t missed anything. Good luck with that as the national park is as expansive as it is majestic. It’s not just a 30 minute in and out trip either, guests have a choice of five different trips to choose from, each with varying rates:

A $22 per hour ride

A $15 per half hour ride

A $33 per hour and a half ride

$44 for two hours

And a half day trip for $90

In season, guests can come ride on the spot, but reservations are required during the off season. For Davy Crockett Riding Stables, peak season runs from March 15 to November 15. Davy Crockett is open 7 days a week from 9 am to 5 pm. For more information, call 865-448-6411.

Best Sport fish in the Smokies

If you are looking for a different fishing adventure in the Smokies, look no further then the Little River in Townsend, TN. The Little River is full of large, brown trout and they are ready to be caught!

The brown trout is not a native fish to the Smoky Mountains. They were introduced into the area during the 1930s as a game fish to increase fishermen traveling to the area to fly fish. And though the brown trout has not been good for the brook trout that were native to the area they are still a lot of fun to catch. Brown in color, aggressive and fun to catch, the brown trout has thrived in the lower elevation waters of the Smoky Mountains. They tend to grow a little bigger then the rainbow trout and they are just as much fun to catch. The Little River is a perfect habitat – mildly rocky, quick water, a few rapids and the food is plentiful.

Where to FishIf you are in Townsend wanting to fish the Little River during the summer, you have to watch for tubers. Yes, there will be people wading, swimming and tubing in the Little River after the water gets warm. But – the fish are dodging the tubers as well. They are looking for more quiet places to spend their time, you need to do the same. Look for those places that are between the more used waters. In the case of the Little River , this means going to the spots after the tube take-outs and before the local swimming holes. You have a good stretch of river that is not as used and ready for you to pull out as many trouts as the fishing regulations allow. Of course the fact that the fish eat the food that the tubers drop in the water means that getting the brown trout to bite is easy.

If you are fishing the Little River during the spring, fall or winter, you are going to have an easier time finding a spot to fish. Without the tubing going on, the fish expand their range to cover the whole length and width of the Little River. Look for those areas directly downstream from the rapids – this is where the brown trout hangout. If you work your way up stream, taking your time, you are bound to find some good fishing and a lot of fun.

What to Bring
You can either fish for brown trout with a fly rod or a spinning reel, the fish don’t care and they will bite as long as you have the right bait. Now, if you are a bit of a traditionalist, then you can always find what flies the fish are biting on at a local outfitters but if you want something guaranteed to get a bite, I have another suggestion – corn & bread. Yes, you read that right – corn & bread. Get a can of corn and a loaf of bread. The nibblets of corn fit easily on the hook and once you roll the bread into little balls they will stay on the hook. Brown trout eat corn and bread balls like they were going out of style. Hook into a brown trout, reel him in and add to your Smoky Mountain story with a great catch and potentially a great meal.